Malky Mackay has hit back at claims from Swansea defender Angel Rangel that Gary Medel is overpriced and a red-card risk for Cardiff in Sunday’s south Wales derby.

Rangel stirred tensions with his suggestion that Cardiff’s record signing is not worth the £11million Mackay paid Sevilla for him this summer.

The Spaniard went a step further by indicating the Chilean midfielder’s fiery reputation would make him a target, saying: ‘If you are clever enough, you can get him sent off.’

Hitting back: Malky Mackay has defended the signing of Gary Madel

Medel was sent off seven times in 90
games at Sevilla, including once for slapping Jose Canas, then of Real
Betis and now of Swansea, but his behaviour and form in Wales have been
exemplary. He has yet to receive a yellow card, and Mackay insists Medel
will not be baited into a red one when these sides meet in the top
flight for the first time in their 101-year rivalry.

‘He’s got plenty to say usually,’ Mackay said of Rangel. ‘He’s more experienced in these matters, I suppose. Gary hasn’t been booked yet so it shows he’s not easily wound up. You have to be cool, to be professional and keep 11 men on the pitch.’

It remains to be seen how possible that is in a rivalry of such intensity. In a week of further off-field chaos for Cardiff, Mackay, like Swansea manager Michael Laudrup, has been drilling into his players the need for cool heads. As Laudrup said: ‘Think with the head and play with the feet.’

Perhaps the crux of this fixture, when the geographic context is stripped away, is that both sides need a win for reasons deeper than pride. Despite their ninth position, Swansea have won only one of their last four games in the Barclays Premier League and looked woefully out of sorts in two Europa League fixtures last month.

Over the past fortnight it could be argued their football has been as uninspiring as at any time since they were promoted two years ago.

Speaking out: Angel Rangel said Cardiff over paid for Gary Medel

Cardiff sit 16th with one win in seven games. Off the field, the appointment of Kazakh Alisher Apsalyamov as head of recruitment was made to look even more farcical this week when the Home Office told him to stand down temporarily because of visa issues. Furthermore, it has emerged that owner Vincent Tan signed Slovenia forward Etien Velikonja in 2012 without Mackay’s consent.

‘Nothing surprises me,’ said Mackay in relation to Apsalyamov, with a pointed suggestion that the issue should be taken up with chief executive Simon Lim, with whom Mackay is known to have a difficult relationship. On Velikonja, he would not ‘talk about individual players’.

Ready for battle: Michael Laudrup has told his players not to do anything stupid

Mackay even suggested the storm of a south Wales derby would be a harbour from the ‘background noise’ generated by the other issues. ‘My focus is keeping us focused on the game and there can’t be a bigger game than this one,’ he said.

It’s a view shared by Swansea captain Ashley Williams. ‘You feel like you are behind enemy lines,’ he said. ‘You come down the hill and they are all lined up. They let you know they don’t want you there, but that’s why we play the game. None of the guys are going to shy away from it.’